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“Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst
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“Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand. William Butler Yeats, "The Second Coming"
“Let me first make one general point that is fundamental and essential to the appreciation of African issues by Americans. Africans are people in the same way that Americans, Europeans, Asians, and others are people. Africans are not some strange beings with unpronounceable names and impenetrable minds. Although the action of Things Fall Apart takes place in a setting with which most Americans are unfamiliar, the characters are normal people and their events are real human events.” Chinua Achebe
Conflicts Generational: Okonkwo vs. Unoka Okonkwo vs. Nwoye Cultural Ibo vs. Western Tradition vs. Christianity Assimilation vs. purity Gender Okonkwo vs. his wives Inner Okonkwo vs. himself
The Tragic Hero • enjoys an exalted position in society either by birth or extraordinary achievements • demonstrates wisdom, moral or philosophical greatness -- sometimes physical prowess 3. adheres to and exemplifies a code of conduct including reverence toward the laws of God and the universe, loyalty to the family, and respect for government 4. possesses a flaw in personality or psyche that ultimately brings about total destruction.
Tragic Flaw • The quality that ultimately defeats a noble hero. • What was Cyrano’s flaw? • Okonkwo’s flaw: Uncontrollable Anger Inflexibility
An epic hero, like Odysseus, is typically set apart from other characters by his capacity to endure many trials and tests. A tragic hero, like Oedipus, is typically a man of consequence brought down by an inner conflict, or through his own weakness. Is Okonkwo an epic hero, a tragic hero, or is he a hero at all?
